RED WATER (2021)

RED WATER (2021)

Tagline: Nope

(Action, Drama, Sharks Will Eat Your Face Off) [PG]

Note: This movie did not get an MPAA rating. I think it would have landed a PG. This film also goes under the title HUGE SHARK. 

The tide is now out, we have to paddle harder. It must be faster than that otherwise it is more dangerous for everyone, to be washed up in the deep sea. 

In this one, it's Dr. Shen Xin’s sister Yiran’s birthday, and her boyfriend Timmy Chow decides to take them both on a small yacht out on the ocean. To their surprise Timmy’s boss Wendy is also coming with them. It doesn’t take long before Yiran gets jealous of Wendy hanging all over Timmy and she shoves Wendy into the water. Timmy dives in after her, but Yiran who doesn’t know how to swim very well jumps in and forces Timmy to choose between rescuing her or Wendy. They can’t get back on the yacht because the ladder isn’t down and suddenly Yiran is attacked by a giant shark. They are able to swim to a very small boat nearby, but the shark isn’t going to just let them go. 

It should be noted that there is a bit about changing ocean currents changing the shark activity in the ocean causing this shark to be in the area, but this is never mentioned in the script and there is nothing that alludes to this being the case at all. To start off the film we get a bunch of shots of Dr. Shen in a bathing suit. I am guessing this was to attract a male audience or something, but the movie is loaded with shots of both her and Wendy outside of the opening scene that makes it feel like overkill. On top of that, it's shot in slow motion making it seem even jankier to have thrown that sequence in there. The movie also includes a bizarre scene where Dr. Shen tells Wendy to stop moving so that the shark won’t see them? As it turns out sharks are blind. 

So what works in this movie? Well, for one, it’s a short 69 minutes long, so there are no issues when it comes to the pacing. Even some of the slower scenes still work, because they effectively build tension. Another strong thing about this movie is that it’s cinematically strong. Not all of the CGI is good, but for a movie that probably has a lower budget, the effects are fine overall, so I consider that a net plus. The other thing that is effective is the score. We go from some dramatic slower music to techno-tension for others and that blend sets the tone nicely.

Acting wise the movie's lead is Chloe Zhao as Dr. Shen. She has been in at least 17 different movies and TV shows, but I am not familiar with her other work. I will say that her performance in either the dubbed version or the foreign version is outstanding enough for her to carry 28 minutes of the film without saying a word. We also get a decent amount of Hong Shuang as Wendy. This was one of only two films she’s ever done and she is actually pretty good. None of the other performances really stand out. 

Overall I think this is a pretty effective shark movie on par with films like THE REQUIN and SWIM only better. This is the 46th shark movie I have reviewed and as of today, it’s sitting at the 16th spot on my best shark movies ever list. It should be noted, that I did have to watch this thing twice to really embrace it fully. For those that are into gore, this is nearly none of that, but what it lacks in the “gnarly” department it makes up for in direction, camerawork, and creating a good amount of suspense. 

RED WATER gets a solid 5 out of 7. I have watched it twice now and would watch it again. Fair warning, do not expect a ridiculous amount of realism, this is not really aimed at people that think they deserve their own show on SHARK WEEK. Oh, and it also highlights how in some cases knowing a bit of math can really help you out. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF BOOMING STUDIOS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.